Lawmakers in Congress have reached a health policy deal, easing Medicare pay cuts to physicians and making changes to post-pandemic Medicaid policy, according to The Washington Post.
Physicians across the country were facing 4 percent Medicare pay cuts should the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 sequester go into effect at the end of this session of Congress Jan. 3. Provider advocates such as the AMA and AHA sent a letter to congress urging this not to happen, Becker's reported Dec. 1.
While provider advocates sought to have these pay cuts canceled altogether, physicians will face a 2 percent cut in 2023. The AMA released a statement Dec. 19 expressing its disappointment in the failure to prevent these payment cuts.
Congress also agreed to phase out extra funding states received for continuous Medicaid enrollment during the pandemic and extended coverage for postpartum mothers and children.